He stiffened. “It is me duty.”
“Duty does nae forbid companionship,” she replied.
He did not answer.
They resumed walking, though something had shifted between them. The air felt thicker, as if holding words neither dared speak.
She became aware of how close his arm was to hers, how easily she could reach out and rest her hand there. The thought alone made her pulse jump.
She did not act on it.
Not yet.
They stopped near the stairwell, where the watch changed below with murmured greetings.
“Ye should rest,” Maxwell said, tone returning to command. “Tomorrow will be busy.”
Ariella nodded, though she did not move. “Will ye stay out here?”
“I will finish the round.”
She hesitated, then asked, “Do ye ever wish things were different?”
His gaze sharpened. “Different how?”
She swallowed. “Less… heavy.”
The pause stretched long enough that she wondered if he would refuse to answer.
“Sometimes,” he said at last.
The single word lodged in her chest like a secret.
She smiled, small and sincere. “That is enough.”
He turned toward her, so close now that she could see the faint scar near his brow, the way moonlight caught in his eyes.
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
She felt it then, unmistakable. Not desire alone. Not only admiration.
Love, whispered a traitorous part of her mind.
She pushed the thought away, even as it settled into her bones.
“Thank ye,” she said instead. “For letting me stand here with ye.”
He inclined his head. “Any time.”
She turned toward the stairs, then paused. “Good night, Maxwell.”
“Good night, Ariella.”
She started to descend the stair, heart racing, when suddenly she stopped.
“Maxwell.”
He turned at once, as though he had been waiting for her to say his name.
